1. Field
The present disclosure relates to communication networks. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method and system for facilitating multi-path switching with edge-to-edge flow control.
2. Related Art
The proliferation of the Internet and e-commerce continues to fuel evolutions in the telecom and network industries. Convergence in the underlying network architectures often takes place at a pace faster than the lifespan of most network equipment. For example, a large enterprise network today may contain Internet Protocol (IP) networks, storage area networks (SANs), Ethernet-based access networks, and leased lines and switches from telephone service providers. How to manage and fully utilize the equipment capacity in a heterogeneous environment remains an ongoing challenge.
To maximize returns on capital expenditures, many network architects prefer re-using existing equipment to switch data packets of different formats and aggregating low-speed switch ports to provision high-speed logical links. Equipment vendors often provide the capability of mix-and-matching the latest equipment with existing equipment to boost switching capacity and accommodate different types of traffic.
Although mixing different types of network equipment can save costs, it also presents inter-operability challenges. For example, when multiple devices are combined into a high-capacity switching system, the flow of packets within such a system can be difficult to control, and unregulated packet flows might prevent the system from reaching its full capacity.